Lameness
Injured? Strained? Sprained? Yes, this is always a scare at first! Your cat comes back injured from its foray, hobbling or limping. What should you do? Do you need to go to the vet immediately? As your cat is often out and about unsupervised, you can usually only make assumptions about the cause of the pain. At best, the injury is harmless, e.g. a torn claw or just a small stone hidden between the paw pads. By the way, ticks also like to be in the spaces between the toes.
If the limping doesn't last long and improves after resting, the problem is usually rather harmless. However, if your cat is limping badly and/or showing signs of pain, this may indicate a more serious problem such as an injury from an accident. Sometimes all it takes is a jump onto unfamiliar terrain or a fall, in which case an injury to muscles, ligaments, joints or even bones cannot be ruled out. If your cat is a little older, the complaints may also be due to osteoarthritis. In such cases, a prompt visit to the vet is advisable.
Even if not all lameness is serious, it should not be underestimated. Early treatment can help to prevent consequential damage and permanent movement restrictions in your pet.
Important!
You should always have emergency numbers for the veterinary practice or veterinary clinic on hand. Also have a list with the most important information about your cat (e.g. previous illnesses, long-term medication, laboratory results or intolerances).
DEFINITION
What is trauma?
Trauma is defined as any injury or damage to healthy tissue caused by an external force.
If your cat has suffered a cut, bite or graze, this is known as open trauma, as the skin is damaged. Blunt trauma, on the other hand, affects the structures under the skin (e.g. muscles, tendons, joints or internal organs). These injuries often occur in the form of bruises, strains or sprains, for example after bumps, falls or jumps where the animal has landed incorrectly.
You can usually recognize trauma in your cat by the fact that it moves differently than normal. It will try to relieve the painful area by walking and will often lick the area. It may sleep or rest more and no longer jump onto elevated favorite spots. Other symptoms may also occur. The classic signs of inflammation often appear:
- Warmth
- Redness
- Pain
- Swelling
- Restriction of movement
Shortly after blunt trauma occurs, there is often nothing visible on the outside. Sometimes you can feel swelling on the affected leg. However, signs of inflammation may not appear until hours later.
Good to know
Not all cats show clear signs of pain. Some may withdraw, suddenly refuse to be touched or show atypical or aggressive behavior when trying to make contact. A sudden change in behavior can therefore also indicate an injury or pain and should be reported to the vet.
DIAGNOSIS
An accurate diagnosis is important
Lameness and limping as well as a change in behavior are always an important message from your cat to take a closer look.
Even if trauma appears harmless at first, a veterinary examination is advisable. This is because, if the healing process does not go smoothly, even minor injuries can lead to chronic problems or even result in a permanent restriction of mobility.
To make a quick and reliable diagnosis, your vet will first ask you the following questions:
- How is your cat's general condition?
- Does it show any noticeable changes in behavior?
- How long has the lameness or other symptoms been present?
- Did the symptoms appear suddenly or did they develop gradually?
- Was there an event (e.g. a fall or accident) that could be linked to the symptoms?
- Does your cat have any other illnesses?
Your cat will then be thoroughly examined and the affected areas palpated to find clues as to the possible cause. Does it react with defensive reactions to specific manipulations such as pressure or certain movements? Or are there other tangible or visible changes? In many cases, a diagnosis can then be made. Imaging procedures such as X-rays or ultrasound as well as blood tests can also help to determine the extent and consequences of the injury.
TREATMENT
What can I do?
Is your cat suddenly limping after returning from a night out? After jumping from a high cupboard, have you noticed that your cat is taking it easy and moving less?
How your pet's injury needs to be treated depends on the type and severity of the trauma. You can do a lot yourself for acute injuries. But beware: even a gentle cat can react unpredictably to severe pain and may hiss, bite or scratch. Therefore, you should always calm the animal before and during first aid, approach it slowly and in a controlled manner and avoid hasty movements. Avoid causing it stress and only touch the injured area if you are sure the cat will allow it:
The most important thing is that your cat stops putting weight on the injured leg. Some cats do not show their pain. However, walking on the affected leg could lead to further injuries or aggravate existing injuries. A bandage often helps to immobilize the leg. It is advisable not to let your cat outside for the time being and to make sure that it does not jump onto higher furniture.
If the animal allows it, carefully examine the affected leg for features that are different from the other limbs. Move it gently to see if there is any swelling or redness, or if there is any bleeding. Also check the paw (between the toes, pads and claws) carefully for signs of bites, wounds, swelling or foreign objects (small stones, wood splinters, ticks or broken glass).
You should stop heavy bleeding immediately with a pressure bandage and go to the nearest veterinary practice/clinic. You can clean superficial and smaller wounds first if necessary by removing coarse dirt and rinsing the wound. Sterile saline solution or lukewarm tap water is suitable for this. Then let the wound dry. To avoid infection, ensure that your pet does not lick the injured skin.
If there is no open wound, you can cool the injured area with a wet cloth or cooling pad. Caution: Always wrap the cooling pad in a kitchen towel beforehand so that the skin is not overcooled or damaged.
In the event of bleeding wounds, severe swelling, sudden severe lameness or complete immobility of your pet, you should visit the vet quickly and without fail. Basically, if you feel unsure, it's better to go one time too many than one time too few!
Signs of inflammation such as pain and swelling can be treated with appropriate medication. Dislocated joints can be reset by the vet under anesthetic and then immobilized to protect them. If your pet has suffered serious trauma such as a broken bone or torn ligaments, surgical measures are usually necessary.
Heel Vet
It is best to talk to your vet about the possibilities of treatment with Heel Vet veterinary medicines.
